| CODE | EDS4109 | ||||||
| TITLE | Critical Issues in ECE | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Drawing mainly on international research and zooming in on local experiences, the unit will contribute to the creation of a community of prospective early childhood educators who are more critical to early childhood policies and practices. Students will study the intersection of family 'habitus', society's structures and power relations with early childhood provisions, with a view to interrogating the potential of such provisions either to liberate and break the cycle of disadvantage or to reproduce social, economic and cultural privilege. Study-unit Aims: Some of the issues addressed critically during this study-unit include: - social justice and early childhood education - post-structuralism and early childhood education - diversity and difference in early childhood education - social class, inequality and early childhood education - families' 'habitus' and the role of distinction in reproducing asymmetrical social relations - gender and sexuality issues in early childhood education - language and early childhood education - interrogating the role of play in early childhood education - poverty and access to early childhood education - popular culture and early childhood education - ICT and early childhood education Construction of personal theories regarding the role of ECE educators in promoting democracy and social justice Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: - Realise that education is not a neutral act and that early childhood education is not an innocent enterprise; - The early childhood curriculum is a site of contestation where hegemony can either be interrogated or reproduced; - The 'age of innocence' is marked by a macro-context characterised by asymmetrical relations of power and inequalities; - Early childhood education constitutes a moral and ethical act. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Develop analytical and critical thinking skills. - Develop reflective writing skills. - Develop communication skills. - Link theoretical insights with practical knowledge. - Use of research to reflect on current practices and educational outcomes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Brown, N. (2004) Gender Equity in the Early Years. Colombus, OH: McGraw-Hill International. - Robinson, K.H. & Jones Diaz, C. (2006) Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education: Issues for Theory and Practice. Berkshire: Open University Press. - Yelland, N. (2002) Gender in Early Childhood. Oxon: Routledge (Taylor & Francis). - Yelland, N. (Ed.) (2012) Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education. Berkshire: Open University Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Simone Galea |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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